Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya

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Bellanwila Raja Maha vihara is a one of the most famous Buddhist temple.It is situated in Bellanvila, colombo district,Sri Lanka and it located at just withing 8 Km south to the Colombo city. Bellanwila temple has a long and hallowed history. The great sanctity attached to the temple is due to its sacred Bodhi-tree. The Bodi tree in the temple is believed to be very powerful. So you can prey & request your wishes to be fulfilled.There is literary evidence in ancient texts such as the Sinhala Bodhivamsaya which records that the Bodhi-tree in Bellanwila as one of the thirty two saplings that sprang from the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi at Anuradhapura planted in the 3rd century BC. The temple premises is more than 4 acres,temple space is a wide sandy enclosure with a lot of trees and interesting old structures on the premises.

Impotency of Bellanwila temple is coming up with its great history.  The age of the temple isn’t recorded well. The temple suffered from negligence during the Portugese invasion in the 17th century and in middle of 19^th century bellanwila temple is rediscovered by an adventurous monk known as Thengodagedara Hamuduruwo. Which mean history of bellanwila temple goes far back before 19^th century.  

Rediscovery story of Bellanvila temple is famous among the Sri Lankans. One day in 1850, Thengodagedara Thero traveling by boat along the Katu-ela  stream towards  Pepiliyana. On his journey it is said that he heard the sound of drumd from a forest nearby. Then he had left the boat and walked towards the sounds. As he approached, the drum sounds faded away and he was surprised to see a Bodhi-tree. Then with a help of villagers he built up the temple.

After Thengodagedara Thero rediscovered Bellanwila it has had a succession of chief monks including Ven. Bellanwila Sri Somarathana Thero.  Sri Somarathana Thero is the one who get stared to develop the Bellanwila Temple to the current situation.  In the current situation there is a three sub organisations link with Bellanvila Raja Maha Viharaya .

1. Bellanvila Sri Bodiraja Damma School
2. Paramitha international Buddhist centre
3. Buddhists Library located at Singapore 

Belanwila Sri Bodiraja Damma school is located in the temple premises and it provide Buddhist education for more than 2000 student from the grade one to grade thirteen under the Principle of Ven. Boralesaagamuwe Pemarathana Thero.

Paramitha international Buddhist center is located at Kadugannawa, Sri Lanka. It is about 90 km from Colombo, just a two hour drive from the city. Paramitha international Buddhist center provide quiet solitude for those who are interested in meditation, away from the busy urban environment. 

The Buddhist library is located at Singapore under the guidance and direction of Ven. Bellanwila Dhammarathaana Thero. The aims of library is to promoting Buddhist education and it has published several books on Buddhist studies. A recent innovation of the Library is the production of a video cassette on the life of the Buddha in animation.

Bellanwila temple is very popular for its paintings. Inside the shrine there are lot of painting and massive statutes of Lord Buddha. These arts will show you stories coming up with a Buddhism.The artist of these paintings is Mr. Somabandu Vidyapathi. He is the one who created a new tradition in Sri Lanka’s rich history of art and wall paintings.

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If you are wishing to travel to the Bellanwila temple during the months of July and August, you can get marvels experience on cultural festival call Esala Perahara.

Esala mangaaallaya is a Sinhalese festival celebrated in the month of Esala, a month in Sinhalese calendar. The bellanwila Esala festival began in earnest in 1950. In earnest 1950 there was a unfortunate epidemic that pervaded around the Bellawila.  According to villagers culture they were started Esela Perahara to overcome from the epidemic. So in present we can see colorful Esela Perahara with pageantry, including hundreds of dances, caparisoned tuskers, and decorated floats etc.

According to tradition if you are visiting to Temple you should cover your legs and dress modestly so please be kind enough to dress properly when you travelling to the temple because it will help to keep tradition. And when you visiting Bellanwila Raja Maha viharaya make sure to protect the environment because without protecting and take care of our environment we're putting so many lives at danger such as animals, plants and crops, and even our own. There are lot of dustbin placed around the temple by municipal council so if you are using thing such as plastic and shopping bag in the temple premises, please put them to those bins properly. hope you will visit here soon.

Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya